Valandovo: Archaeology, festival culture and mountain scenery

• Valandovo lies at the foot of Mount Plavush, partly arranged like an amphitheatre on a slope, at an altitude of 110 to 150 metres.
• The Anska Reka flows south of the town.
• The Valandovo Archaeological Complex includes remains from the Paeonian, Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine periods.
• The Valandovo Folk Festival takes place every year in May.

The hillside setting gives Valandovo a distinctly stepped topography: parts of the town lie like an amphitheatre at the foot of Plavush. The altitude of 110 to 150 metres adds to this picture. The Anska Reka flows to the south; its location is another geographical reference point for the town.

Further afield in the Municipality of Valandovo, the view opens out over the Valandovo Valley. The municipality lies in a valley shaped by strong Mediterranean climatic influences, warm days and fertile land. The Kochula and Ring waterfalls, on the western side of Belasica, are also among the most attractive natural features in the municipality. The town’s location at Plavush and the municipality’s wider landscape can therefore be seen as distinct aspects of a trip to Valandovo.

The Valandovo Archaeological Complex brings together remains from several periods: the Paeonian, Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine periods. Mosaics were discovered at the “Stakina Češma” site in the southern part of the town. In addition, a mosaic area of around 200 m² was found in the northwestern part of the town, in Zone 1 of the complex. These two locations give an idea of how archaeological finds are spread across different parts of Valandovo.

Further afield in the Municipality of Valandovo, the Melezik necropolis in the village of Dedeli offers a different point of reference in time: it dates from the 7th to the 6th century BC. The burials there include inhumations in stone cists and burials in large ceramic vessels. If you are interested in archaeology, you can explore both the periods represented at the complex in Valandovo and a specific archaeological site elsewhere in the municipality.

Two sites to the northwest offer further contrasts. The medieval “Markova Kula” fortress, also known as “Kulata”, is located on a hilltop plateau. Isar Kula is an archaeological site on a long, rocky mountain ridge with steep slopes; a visible, well-preserved defensive tower remains there. The site’s precise dating is uncertain. The descriptions thus distinguish a fortress identified as medieval from a site whose exact period remains unclear.

Nearby, the Monastery of Sv. Gjorgji is set in natural surroundings on Plavush, northwest of Valandovo. Its grounds are laid out as a picnic, recreation and rest area. In the Middle Ages, a church dedicated to Saint George stood on the monastery site; Serbian Tsar Stefan Dušan had it built in 1349. This links a specific historical date with the site’s religious significance, without equating the present-day complex with the medieval church.

The Valandovo Folk Festival takes place every year in May. Another early-May event in the municipality is the “HID-BAH ŠEN FEST” in the village of Čalakli. This spring festival has been held there every year in early May since 1992 and lasts four days. Its programme includes folk performances, exhibitions of handicrafts and photographs, concerts, theatre performances, traditional wrestling and a football tournament. Unlike the Valandovo Folk Festival, this event takes place in the village.

The Valandovo Rakija Festival celebrates the centuries-old tradition of making rakija in the Municipality of Valandovo. The regional tourism organisation’s events calendar lists it for 8 November 2026. The festival includes a competition for the best rakija, with awards for first, second and third place. If you would like to plan your trip around one of these festivals, check the specific dates and details for the relevant edition in advance.

The dates provide different points of reference: the Valandovo Folk Festival and the early-May festival in the village of Čalakli take place in May; the Rakija Festival is listed for 8 November 2026. If your trip focuses on the landscape or archaeological history, you can consider the town and the wider municipality as different areas of interest.

Where is Valandovo situated in the landscape?

The town lies at the foot of Plavush, partly arranged like an amphitheatre on a slope, at an altitude of 110 to 150 metres. The Anska Reka flows south of Valandovo.

Which periods are associated with the Valandovo Archaeological Complex?

The complex includes remains from the Paeonian, Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine periods. Mosaics were discovered, among other places, in the southern part of the town at the “Stakina Češma” site.

When do the festivals mentioned take place?

The Valandovo Folk Festival takes place every year in May. The “HID-BAH ŠEN FEST” has been held every year in early May in the village of Čalakli since 1992. The Valandovo Rakija Festival is listed for 8 November 2026; check the details for that edition again before travelling.

What is the difference between Markova Kula and Isar Kula?

“Markova Kula”, also known as “Kulata”, is a medieval fortress on a hilltop plateau northwest of Valandovo. Isar Kula lies on a rocky mountain ridge; a well-preserved defensive tower is visible there, but the site’s precise dating is uncertain.

For the broader travel overview: Valandovo.